EP #135: Non-Profit Leadership with Lissa Zanville
Impactmakers have a natural inclination to participate in the non-profit sector. Some, have a special calling to bring their professional leadership skills. Working in that space can tiring but extremely fulfilling work. If you’ve spent some time volunteering, you’ve felt the effort that goes into that type of work.
Lissa Zanville is the Executive Director of Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charities. She comes with a wealth of experience in the communications field and uses her skills to help the organization share its message. They focus on creating volunteer opportunities for people in the community and believe that everyone should have a chance to contribute and shouldn’t feel restricted by time. You’ll come out of this episode with a clear understanding of what it is like to lead a mission-driven organization.
What You'll Learn In Today's Episode:
About Lissa’s full circle journey into philanthropy
About Lissa’s first philanthropic experience
The importance of people helping others
How LATLC helps people connect to volunteerism
How Lissa built the LATLC infrastructure
About LATLC’s community events
How Lissa feels after an event
About the next generation of philanthropists
How volunteerism is important for people
The number of volunteer hours LATLC has facilitated
Lissa’s thoughts on being a non-profit leader
Lissa’s advice to her daughters about a meaningful career
How transitions provide new opportunities
Why it’s important to be recognized for good work
What is conspicuous integrity
How doing good work feels good
What the LATLC "stress heart” is
How generosity, kindness, and doing good business are contagious
How the LATLC model can be used again
Ideas Worth Sharing:
“I believe that things go in a full circle.” - Lissa Zanville
“What we do is what I wanted to do in high school and that gives money away.” - Lissa Zanville
“I wasn’t sure I could ever make so much money that I could have my own foundation but certainly if I could support foundations that would be wonderful.” - Lissa Zanville
“Seeing the faces of the people you actually has a huge impact.” - Lissa Zanville
“People relate to people.” - Lissa Zanville
“Having a huge overreaching goal may sound good but the great satisfaction is when you actually see the faces of the people you help.” - Lissa Zanville
“Either I’m going to be sitting in my crying or high as a kite.” - Lissa Zanville
“Our goal is to create a new generation of philanthropists.” - Lissa Zanville
“We don’t just give away money. We also provide volunteer service.” - Lissa Zanville
“They were getting to a point where it got bigger and bigger and they needed help.” - Lissa Zanville
“Even before the pandemic I worked from home.” - Lissa Zanville
“At the end of 2021 we had done up to 7,666 hours that we have been able to document.” - Lissa Zanville talking about the amount of service ours LATLC has provided
“We have 121 partners so you don’t have a single mission. You don’t have one thing you can talk about.” - Lissa Zanville
“We spend $50,000 just on the food, the toys, on the people.” - Lissa Zanville
“Everything has to be a win-win. What does the donor get out of it as well as the non-profit.” - Lissa Zanville
“You deserve that recognition.” - Lissa Zanville
“I don’t think I have ever worked this hard or this long.” - Lissa Zanville
“I’ve never found anything so satisfying or exhausting.” - Lissa Zanville
“My rule of thumb is, ‘If it’s not fun to do and I have to give up my weekend, I want to make sure that it’s fun and satisfying.” - Lissa Zanville
“We are lucky being a pass-through charity because what we raise is what we give away.” - Lisa Zanville
“Don’t tell me about return on investment, ever. Tell me about what good we’re doing in the community, what services we’re providing as a business.” - Lissa Zanville on her for-profit sector mindset
“I’ve always tried to find love of my job, whatever it is.” - Lissa Zanville
“It’s not the salary you’re going in for.” - Lissa Zanville
“I think I’ve been so blessed in a way to have fallen into this organization and this type of work.” - Lissa Zanville
“I don’t think that I have had as much satisfaction for the type of work that I do now.” - Lissa Zanville
“Every experience you have in life leads you to the next thing.” - Lissa Zanville
“Recognition is important.” - Lissa Zanville
“People are wanting to be more involved in experiencing the joys of giving beyond just smoking a check.” - Bob DePasquale
“More people would get involved if they could just ‘do.'” - Bob DePasquale
“If there was no need, what would be the point of charities, right?” - Bob DePasquale
Resources In Today's Episode:
Lissa Zanville - LinkedIn
Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charities - Website - LinkedIn - Facebook - YouTube - Twitter - Instagram
LMZ Communications - Website
Bob’s Book - Personal Finance in a Public World
This week’s E-Impact Blog Entry
Episodes Referenced:
EP #127: Human Services Impact with Vanessa Seltzer and Kim Vassar
